The Rat Pack was not originally a group of Vegas singers
In short: Before they were icons of the 1960s Las Vegas strip, the Rat Pack was a Hollywood social circle defined by wild parties and disheveled appearances.
While modern audiences associate the name with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., the group actually originated in the 1940s. Led by Humphrey Bogart and his wife Lauren Bacall, the 'Holmby Hills Rat Pack' was a collection of celebrities who hosted lavish parties in Los Angeles starting around 1955.
The name itself is said to have been coined after a trip to Las Vegas for a Noël Coward cabaret premiere. According to legend, Bacall remarked that her fellow revelers looked like a 'pack of rats' due to their messy appearance after days of partying. The group even requested a rat-themed insignia from artist Nathaniel Benchley.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Surprising History of Las Vegas and the Rat Pack! - Mental Floss Scatterbrained | Mental Floss
- Also: Rat Pack | History, Members, Las Vegas, Movies, & Facts | Britannica
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